The present invention relates to the production of ice cubes, and more particularly to methods and apparatus for producing ice cubes having distinctive markings therein.
Numerous methods and machines have been proposed for producing ice cubes in a variety of shapes and sizes. However, other than the overall shape of the ultimately produced ice cubes, the heretofore produced cubes lack any distinctive markings which might serve to distinguish one cube from another.
One particular machine for producing ice cubes comprises the plate of an evaporator having a plurality of spaced apart ice cube forming buttons fitted into the surface of the plate. The outside of each button is generally circular in configuration and flus with the surface of the plate. Each button is exposed to the affects of refrigeration on the inner surface thereof. As liquid water flows over the outside surface of the plate, the water freezes and adheres to the buttons until a build-up of ice has occurred. The ice is thickest at the center of the button and diminishes in thickness to a generally circular periphery at the plate thereby forming a lenticular shaped ice cube. During harvest by hot gas recycle or other means, the formed lenticular ice cubes release from the buttons of the plate and the process is then repeated. Other than overall shape these cubes have no distinctive characteristics.
Another machine includes a typical slab evaporator that freezes small square or rectangular cubes, commonly called "diced ice". A raised grid on the evaporator aids in the production of the square or rectangular shaped cubes.
Other ice making machines utilize different structural arrangements in the production of ice cubes having a variety of shapes and sizes. However, other than overall shape, the produced cubes lack any distictive markings which might serve to distinguish one cube from another.